Russell Mackensen

Having worked as an Architect for over 40 years I produced a lot of drawings and renderings of projects, but was not involved in fine art. Yet I have been "seeing" projects in lights and darks, composition, texture, movement and color. All these elements of architecture are the same ones that artists apply to their works. So in a sense I have been producing "Art" by taking 3 dimensional ideas and translating them to 2 dimensional drawings. The only difference is that those drawings are then used to create the 3 dimensional work.

Upon the urging of my wife over the last 30 years saying "you could do that" when we were looking at art, I decided to try Oil Pastels in October of 2009. It felt like a natural medium for me to work with as I was able to get what my mind was seeing onto the ground I was working on. I soon discovered that this was a medium not too well known or understood. It is the application of pure pigment in stick form, similar to Dry Pastels. For a more complete understanding please visit theOil Pastel Society.

I have been honored as a Signature member of the Oil Pastel Society, and am a juried member of The International Guild of Realism, Oil Painters of America, Faith Artists and The Artists of Texas.

In my life and my art I strive to give praise to the Creator of all. I believe that as a Christian everything I do is summed up by the scripture:

"For From Him and Through Him and To Him are all things.

To Him be the Glory Forever. Amen"

Romans 11: 36

Russell Mackensen

Having worked as an Architect for over 40 years I produced a lot of drawings and renderings of projects, but was not involved in fine art. Yet I have been "seeing" projects in lights and darks, composition, texture, movement and color. All these elements of architecture are the same ones that artists apply to their works. So in a sense I have been producing "Art" by taking 3 dimensional ideas and translating them to 2 dimensional drawings. The only difference is that those drawings are then used to create the 3 dimensional work.

Upon the urging of my wife over the last 30 years saying "you could do that" when we were looking at art, I decided to try Oil Pastels in October of 2009. It felt like a natural medium for me to work with as I was able to get what my mind was seeing onto the ground I was working on. I soon discovered that this was a medium not too well known or understood. It is the application of pure pigment in stick form, similar to Dry Pastels. For a more complete understanding please visit theOil Pastel Society.

I have been honored as a Signature member of the Oil Pastel Society, and am a juried member of The International Guild of Realism, Oil Painters of America, Faith Artists and The Artists of Texas.